I am reminded of the apocryphal story of a new vicar who approached a long established church warden. “I bet you have seen many changes,” said the vicar. “Yes,” replied the warden, “and I have resisted every one of them!”

So here is a story by Anthony de Mello from his book ‘The Heart of the Enlightened’: ‘Owing to a variety of circumstances, the egg of an eagle found its way to one corner of a barn where a hen was hatching her eggs.

In time the little eaglet was hatched with the other chickens.
Now as time passed, the fledgling, quite unaccountably, began to experience a longing to fly.  So it would say to its mother, the hen, “When shall I learn to fly?”

The poor hen was quite aware of the fact that she could not fly and hadn’t the slightest notion of what other birds did to train their fledglings in the art of flight.  But she was ashamed to confess this inadequacy, so she would say, “Not yet my child, not yet.  I shall teach you when you are ready.”

Months passed and the young eagle began to suspect that its mother did not know how to fly.  But it could not get itself to break loose and fly on its own, for its keen longing to fly had become confused with the gratitude it experienced toward the bird that had hatched it.’

Many of us may, sometimes without thinking, behave like the mother hen—restricting others because what they are talking about is beyond our experience. I pray that this will never be the case among our churches as we explore what it is to be a missionary church of the Twenty First Century.

Peter Massey

Coalition has been used, recently, as a dirty word by many journalists (along with other words like proportion, balance and honesty). It’s Pentecost, or very nearly, as I write and certainly will be when you read this. As the early church, itself a coalition, waited in anticipation and obedience for the gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised, there was a sense of togetherness.

For a coalition to work there needs to be the willingness, at times, to give ground on some opinions or positions for a greater good. It is in this greater good that unity and togetherness is found. Our country faces large problems both socially and economically.

Similarly, Christians face enormous challenges in society not least being pushed to the margins. Togetherness has never been more important for the Christian message and mission.

We hold many different positions within the church both nationally and locally. We disagree from time to time but as we cry out to God for our nation, for our city and communities, let’s also ask God to give us the discernment to know when we are justly standing our ground or merely standing in the way of something greater.

Then the plate arrived, she took it with trembling hands.  She bowed her head and felt that God had given her an idea.  She placed the collection plate on the floor and stepped very carefully onto it and whispered, “Lord I give myself”.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 8:5 that the Macedonian Church did very much the same thing. Having nothing they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to the visiting evangelists, Paul and Co.

That first dedication to God led the Church to receive over flowing joy enabling them to give in rich generosity.  It’s noted that they gave far above their means and even pleaded for the chance even the privilege of giving to the work of God seeing it as a service to the saints.

Matthew 26:39 states that Jesus gave himself, or rather surrendered himself wholeheartedly, to do the will of his father.  And in Hebrews we have that he did this for the joy set before him – becoming poor so that we may ‘through his poverty’ become rich – 2 Corinthians 8:9.

Whenever I struggle to let go of my wants or my time I remember that I am not my own I have been brought at a price the precious blood of Christ was spilled out for me on Good Friday.  He gave himself for me so the very least I can do is give myself to him

This will be no surprise to Christians who know that unselfish behaviour is one of the natural responses of people who believe in God, ‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vein conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.(Philippians 2:3).’ God gives us this and similar advice not to make life more difficult, but because it makes life better for all of us and especially those we meet day in and day out. We have a God who wants the best for us whatever our circumstances. Why else would he endure the torture and pain associated with Easter, except for our sakes?

Incidentally, the same article adds that: ‘to find God also contributes to a happy life.’ Alleluia, it is now scientifically proved that to become a follower of Jesus is also good for us. Thus the question now is not ‘Do you believe it?’ but ‘What are you going to do about it?’

This concept is highly counter-cultural in our contemporary culture. Self has been promoted over other. ‘We’re worth it’ and ‘We deserve it’ are tag lines frequently found in adverts. Imagine Jesus saying, ‘I will turn the stones into bread “because I’m worth it.”  The Holy Spirit led him out there in order to meet, in a real way, with God. He went with nothing but himself. Whatever cares or burdens he may have had were left at the entrance to the Judean desert.

The wilderness experience of Christ tells us that amidst and amongst everything else, it is good to stop and come before God. Self-examination before God is hard work but the rewards gained are of incalculable wealth. It is no accident that Lent leads us straight into Jesus’ ultimate expression of selflessness, the cross.

As we surrender more and more of ourselves to God it is my prayer that he will reveal more and more of himself to us. For this we need to be open to God, self-denying and self-sacrificing. We cannot fully partake in any other way.